Robert Charles (R. C.) Sproul, (1939-xx) Chairman of Ligonier Ministries
R. C. Sproul is professor at Knox Theological Seminary, host of Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast, and the consummate representative for the Reformed theological perspective. He holds numerous degrees, has written more than 50 books, and has authored numerous magazine articles for evangelical publications. He is strongly anti-dispensational (pursuant to his understanding of dispensationalism) and wrote a "festschrift" (German for celebration publication for the rabid anti-dispenational John H. Gerstner.
His book, WILLING TO BELIEVE, The Controversy over Free Will is a good introduction and resource to the millennia old discussion of God's sovereignty versus man's so-called "free will".
However, in the last chapter of the book, Professor Sproul attempts to critique Dispensationalism's view regarding the "Five Points of Calvinism" and concludes, "The universe of my experience provides an inadequate basis from which to draw final conclusions about Dispensationalism today, but it does point out that no small amount of confusion exists regarding these issues." Sproul's "universe" is the theology of Lewis Sperry Chafer, who he views "exercised enormous influence on Dispensational thought." (p.190) Sproul is uninterested in or actively ignores the nearly 100 years of dispensational thought prior to Chafer.
Sproul states, "Chafer seeks to distance himself from the Arminian view of depravity and to side with historic Calvinism. He argues that men are born spiritually dead, leaving them incapable of doing any spiritual good with respect to salvation." (p.192) He then emphasizes what he sees as the "most crucial" dividing point between Reformed and Dispensational theology--"Reformed theology's ordo salutis [Latin - the order of salvation], regeneration precedes faith." Sproul further qualifies by saying, "It [ordo salutis] does so with respect to logical priority, not temporal priority." Too bad tens of thousands of his Reformed brethren never got nor have benefited from this distinction.
The Reformed weakness is their passion that any and all work of the Holy Spirit prior to the New Birth be considered "regeneration". See my related comments here. Distinctions of this variety are not in keeping with the "stalwart" Reformed tradition. A great many dispensationalists--from Darby to Chafer and beyond--held to ordo salutis. What has been often objected to is the Reformed tradition's bent to violate their own tenet and make regeneration a "temporal priority" to faith. When this occurs, the Reformed are quick to dismiss the phenomena as a minor aberration of "hyper-Calvinist excess". Unfortunately, the "excess" is more widespread than they are willing to admit. Further, Sproul raises the age-old theological categorization of monergism versus synergism--terms which at least date back to the Reformation's debate with Romanism over substantively the same issue. Due to the fact that Professor Sproul considers all actions of the Holy Spirit as "regeneration", he concludes that Chafer and Walvoord (whom Chafer approvingly quotes) are synergists. In Sproul's Reformed understanding, there are determinists and indeterminists--and dispensationalists are to be considered the later. By contrast, we along with Professor John S. Feinberg, consider Professor Sproul to be a "hard determinist". For some further background on this subject, see Human Freedom and the Sovereignty of God
Professor Sproul also identifies another quintessential difference between the Reformed versus Classic Dispensational view. On page 194 he states, "It is also important to note that Reformed theology understands regeneration to involve a change in the fallen human being's nature. That is, the human nature itself undergoes a change (amelioration) in its constitution." (Underline and bracket emphasis mine.) Sproul is absolutely correct regarding Covenant theology's view. However, both the Reformed and Wesleyan theological tradition (like the Romanist tradition before them) view regeneration in terms of this amelioration of the depravity congenitally received from the First Adam.
This is typically called "One Naturism"--one nature changed from bad to good, in contrast to the doctrine of the "Two Natures of the Believer"--where the old nature (life from the First Adam) is progressive displaced by the new nature (life from the Last Adam--the Risen Lord Jesus Christ). Until recently (circa 1980s & 1990s), classical dispensationalists have rejected the Reformed "one naturism" view. In his book, Professor Sproul acknowledges this theological shift. "The developments within Dispensational thought, particularly those evidenced at Dallas Theological Seminary, are encouraging to advocates of classical Reformed theology." (p.189-190).
Under subsequent sections in Chapter 9, Sproul carries off a total smear and hack job--a continuation of the vitriol launched by John Gerstner. With little to no clear understanding of dispensational soteriology, he seeks to falsely accuse Dispensationalism of promoting an "idea that regeneration involves a kind of apotheosis" and cites Paul Crouch as a case exhibit. "Apotheosis" is a term used for deification--the concept that one becomes God or part of God. Sadly, much of Professor Sproul's understanding of dispensational soteriology is a continuation or restatement of John Gerstner's misunderstanding. Sproul repeats Gerstner's drive to discredit dispensationalism by calling, Billy Graham "the most famous Dispensationalist of them all..." (p.200)
In bringing this brief review to an end, I wish to quote a sentence from the book's final, closing paragraph. Sproul states, "If the fall renders man morally unable, dead in sin, and enslaved to sin, then human freedom must be viewed in one way." Underline emphasis mine.
"Ligonier Ministries is a not-so-subtle, front organization for the mighty work of God through R.C. Sproul, which has drawn people hungry for sound doctrine and the deep things of God like a magnet. Proclaiming biblical truth with clarity, compassion, and conviction, it has attracted people away from environments of evangelical and theological shallowness and indifference and has, more than any other ministry, raised the banner of God's glory to fly above all others." John F. MacArthur Jr.
Classic Dispensationalism strongly disagrees with the eminent Professor R. C. Sproul.
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